Desperately Need Help

Last week when I attempted to open up my Act Pro 2011 software to access my database, I was unable to do so. As opposed to the normal dashboard that has always appeared, a screen appears that offers me two basic options; 1). Create a databse to being using act, or 2.) Open an existing Act database.

If I choose the second option, it prompts me to open a file, of which I have three Act files to choose from. When I select the file that I believe to be my Act database, after a few minutes of processing, an error appears stating "The database could not be accessed. In order to access this database, check your network connection and verify that your database server is available. It may be necessary to disable any firewall software on your computer or the server."

Now, recently my father-in-law secured my network (because he refuses to leave well enough alone), which I suspect may have something to do with this issue. I've tinkered with my firewall settings, and it appears that I've allowed proper access to Act.

I spent some time on the Sage portal today, and found some information that appeared to be similar to the problem that I'm experiencing, however, I wasn't able to arrive at a satisfactory solution.

This has been a nightmare, as I've spent the last two days scrambling to find the contact information that I need to get in touch with clients and contacts.